Right on: Anthony Davis excited to return from torn biceps; Joe Looney gaining praise in place of Alex Boone

Normalcy returned Tuesday to the right side of the 49ers’ offensive line, in at least one aspect: right tackle Anthony Davis’ practice debut, four months removed from shoulder surgery.

There’s still no sight of his neighbor, right guard Alex Boone, who’s entrenched in a contract holdout that no player nor coach Jim Harbaugh has endorsed publicly.

While Boone’s absence has attracted national attention for potential trade purposes, Davis’ rehabilitation has played out behind the scenes – until Tuesday.

“It’s exciting. I finally get to do what I do,” said Davis, who had surgery in April for a torn left biceps and to remove bone spurs in his labrum.

Advertisement

Davis didn’t attempt to weigh in on Boone’s contract squabble that’s run throughout the offseason and training camp.

Boone’s replacement on the starting unit has been Joe Looney, who Davis described as a “smart, heady player. Looney is like a vet, mentally.”

Other than the 49ers recent two exhibitions, Looney hasn’t started a game in his two-year career. He saw self-improvement from the exhibition-opener at Baltimore to Sunday’s game against Denver.

“I played a little better, and there’s always stuff I can get better at doing, like my pad level,” Looney said.

“We believe in Joe Looney, we believe we can win with Joe Looney,” Harbaugh said. “Joe Looney is working every day to improve and that’s what we want the whole unit doing.”

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the starting offense have played only three series this exhibition season, with only one field goal to show for it on the scoreboard. Kaepernick likes how his offensive line is progressing, including with Looney.

“He’s constantly improving. He’s doing very well for us,” Kaepernick said. “He came in last year (against the Rams on Dec. 1) and played well.”

Although Kaepernick signed a six-year extension two months ago, he intentionally structured it to allow room for other teammates’ deals. He’s not demanding, at least publicly, that Boone be one of those recipients, nor did he name any other candidates for extensions.

Said Kaepernick: “That’s something the front office … that’s their decision. For me, I tried to do something where we gave them space to try to get players back. Now, who they sign and what they do with it, that is really up to them.”

In studying film of the 49ers’ scheme, Looney has kept a close eye on how Boone played as the starter the past two years, especially in terms of technique and physicality.

Advertisement

“Boone’s a great guy and a heck of a player, and I want to do a great job just like he did,” said Looney, noting he hasn’t had a chance to talk to Boone during the holdout.

Harbaugh declined to state whether he’s communicated with Boone, who’s scheduled to make $2 million and $1.2 million over the final two years of his contract.

While Looney has filled in for Boone, Jonathan Martin has been “doing very well” in place of Davis on the first string, Harbaugh noted.

“He’s been a good addition, and sure glad we got him,” Harbaugh said of Martin. “He’s been very effective and efficient.”

The other noticeable change to the offensive line is at center. Daniel Kilgore has taken over the starting job in place of Jonathan Goodwin, who returned to the Saints after three seasons.

A training-camp battle between Kilgore and Marcus Martin never fully developed as Martin coped with a sprained ankle. However, Martin was hailed for his “physical” nature in Sunday’s exhibition, where he played 76 percent of the snaps.